


Saga of The Traveler- Mortality

by Master_Magician



Category: Forever (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-06
Updated: 2014-11-16
Packaged: 2018-02-24 08:06:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2574281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Master_Magician/pseuds/Master_Magician
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Henry is injured it makes both Henry and Jo question their partnership until a third party steps in.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Another story for one of my favorite fandoms. This will be a three part one, the introduction followed up by a Henry chapter then a Jo chapter. 
> 
> Enjoy.

Part of being immortal was how it changed the way you viewed things. Such as emotions, diseases, injuries, they all became completely trivial. Even the most lethal sickness meant nothing. No injury could be permanent, emotions had different meanings. 

Fear was one such emotion. 

Fear was not something Henry had truly felt in a very long time. Yes, he still occasionally felt it. Such as when Abigail had been nearing her eventual death or when the thought of losing Abe to the drug Aterna. 

That soul crushing fear that came from the terror of losing one's own life was an impossibility. 

Somehow that did not stop Henry from having that same kind of fear for Jo.

Henry was immortal, he could survive anything.

Jo was mortal, she could not survive anything. 

This was the main reason why Henry was on the ground with a bullet wound in his side bleeding all over the concrete and the reason Jo was kneeling beside him with a second bullet wound in her shoulder. 

Jo was pressing both her hands into Henry's side in an attempt to stop the bleeding, her own bleeding shoulder completely ignored. 

Henry barely registered that she was screaming into the radio for an ambulance. His mind was already running through a diagnosis for both of them. Near as he could tell both wounds were through and through shots. Jo's arm and the sleeve of her blouse were probably soaked in blood but if the detective noticed she did not let it show. Her wound at least was a nonfatal one, it might hurt but she would be fine. 

Henry's on the other hand... might be a problem. It was bleeding heavily but that was not Henry's concern, he was more worried about dying in front of his partner. He would physically be fine of course but he had no idea how to explain it to Jo. Neither was he sure she would even accept it without a potential freak out. 

What mattered though, was that Jo would be fine. If Henry had acted a second too late or soon she would be dead. 

They were on the lead of another suspect in their current case when they found this old house being used as an occasional haunt by their suspect. They had all the evidence they needed but lacked the man in question. Upon their arrival the building was completely empty, at least they thought it was. Henry had went to check the upstairs while Jo covered the base level. 

When he came back down he found Jo kneeling in the old living room to check something on the floor. That was when Henry saw the glint of metal in a nearby doorway. He had moved without thinking. Henry dove in front of Jo a split second before the bullet was fired. 

The bullet tore into his side mid-air. If he had not moved in front of the bullet then it would instead have hit Jo in either the side of the head or the neck. Both would have been fatal for the detective. 

The moment Henry was hit Jo had her gun up, she moved in the nick of time so instead of a bullet to the chest she took one to the shoulder. After being knocked on her back by the hit, she lifted her own gun and fired. Their attacker was hit in the stomach and stumbled back dropping his weapon. 

"Henry!" Jo was rushing over to her partners side. Their suspect had already fled despite the bullet wound in his abdomen. It was doubtful he would get far anyway. 

"Just hold on Henry," Jo's voice was uncharacteristically nervous and shaky. She sounded genuinely frightened. The normally cool headed detective in such a state was more than a little scary to Henry. 

She had pulled off her jacket and was using it to try and slow Henry's bleeding but the garment was quickly soaked through with the warm and sticky blood. 

Henry only groaned softly. It was not the first time, and likely not the last, he had a gunshot wound. A bullet injury was not something he was used to per se but it was not unfamiliar. 

Henry coughed softly once then again a little heavier. He could taste blood on his lips, that was not good. Internal bleeding was very swiftly becoming a problem.

"Henry?" The immortals eyes slowly began to droop closed. 

Jo's own went as wide as saucers. 

"Henry! Stay with me!" Jo was screaming now. Part of Henry wanted to tell her just to be quiet and let him die. He would just wake up in the river perfectly fine. 

In reality he was more concerned with her shoulder. She was completely ignoring her own bleeding. If he could speak, he would have been scolding her to put pressure on it with at least one hand or something. 

That thought quickly disappeared when a bloody hand smacked him hard across the face. 

"You don't get to die on me!" Jo sniffled very quietly. "Stay with me... please." Jo's voice sounded almost begging. 

Were those tears welling up in her eyes? 

Henry would have forced out the words right then and there to just let him die so he could get it over with, consequences be damned, if the sirens had not appeared outside.

Henry would have been somewhat fine with dying before Jo's eyes. At least she was his partner and he had a chance to explain it to her. Now that there were other people about to arrive, he felt the panic starting to rise again that his secret could be exposed. 

Within moments the EMTs were hauling Henry away to the ambulance. At this point Henry was barely conscious.

Looking over, he saw one of the paramedics with Jo. He was attempting to get her to stay put long enough to check out her still bleeding shoulder. The unfortunate man was having no luck against the stubborn detective.

Henry had to smile at that, Jo was too worried about him to be concerned about her own injury. That was just how Jo was, always looking out for others. Her own problems be damned. 

The irony that she was so concerned about an immortal was almost comical. 

Henry's last image before passing out was laying on his back in the ambulance. Jo sitting beside him, her bloody hand clutching his tightly. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Henry slowly opened his eyes up with a quiet groan. The first thing he noticed was the soft quiet beeping of the machines at his bedside. 

Henry looked over to the side and saw the heart monitor and other equipment. 

So he had not died. The immortal let out a soft sigh of relief. They had gotten him to the hospital in time so his secret was still safe. 

Henry's thoughts of sitting up lasted for only about a moment, he was still far too sore. Any pain relief they had given him must be quickly wearing off. 

How long he out was in debate. 

When he looked over to the other side of his bed he was greeted with another sight he had not been expecting. Jo was sitting in one of the waiting chairs fast asleep. She was sitting there with her legs stretched out in front of her and her arms slightly folded, her head was laying foreword. Her chest moved with the slow rhythm of breathing while in slumber. 

The next thing Henry's eyes caught was what Jo was wearing. She appeared to be dressed in the exact same clothes she had been wearing when they were both attacked. The only real difference was that her blouse was missing an entire sleeve, a bandage in place on her shoulder where she had been hit. 

Henry smiled, if he had to hazard a guess she was waiting for him to wake up. Exactly like he had done for her when she had been shot in their first case together. She intended to return the favor for being there when he awake. 

The gesture was of course unnecessary but greatly appreciated. She was after all the only person besides Abe whom would sit at his bedside during a hospital stay. 

Henry was contemplating whether he should awaken her when she stirred. His choice was apparently made for him as her head slowly rose. 

Jo rubbed the sleep from her eyes for a moment until she saw that Henry's eyes were open. The relief on her face could be seen even without Henry's deductive skills. 

A small smile graced the detective's lips. "You're finally awake." 

"How long was I out?" Henry tried to sit up slightly but winced in pain. Jo was at his side in the blink of an eye. 

"Whoa whoa, easy. You were pretty banged up. You've been out for a bit." As Jo spoke Henry eased back into the bed slowly. "Guess you can cross getting shot in the side off your bucket list eh?" There was another of Jo's warm smiles. 

Henry laughed internally. Had he such an item on his so called bucket list, it was crossed off a very long time ago. No need for Jo to know that though.

"So detective, mind telling me why you're still dressed in that?" Henry looked at Jo up and down. At his scrutiny she seemed to both wince and shift in place. 

"Henry..." Jo's voice was much quieter now. "You saved my life, I thought you deserved to wake up to a familiar face. The doctors did not know when you would be back up."

"So you were watching over me this whole time?" Henry smiled. 

Jo did not speak, she only nodded.

"Thanks Jo." Henry's use of her first name seemed to perk up Jo's spirits a bit. She was once again smiling. "But seriously, you should go change and wash up. I'll be fine." 

Jo seemed to disagree with him. She was about to open her mouth to argue when Henry cut her off before she had a chance to speak. "Seriously, I'll be fine."

Jo looked about to ready to argue but she soon gave a quiet sigh. "Alright..."

It was right then that Henry noticed something else in Jo's eyes and demeanor. He was not quite sure what it was but something was off about the detective. 

Jo rose moved to leave when she spoke again. "Get well soon Henry." 

Henry smiled. "I'm sure I will be up and back to investigating with you quite soon." 

That comment did something. Jo winced at his words, not very much but Henry's ability to see nuance caught it instantly. There was definitely something else Jo was not saying. 

Whatever it was would have to wait until another day for the detective was already gone.


	2. Henry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Henry has an unexpected meeting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now we have part 2, Henry. Along with the appearance of the "third party". This was also partially inspired by Henry's old friend to reminded him of the beauty of life before succumbing to Tuberculosis. 
> 
> Enjoy.

After his stay in the hospital Henry was very much happy to be out. In his many decades of life he had enough time in hospitals, both as a doctor and a patient. The latter from mental hospitals. 

Henry was able to move around now at least, albeit with some restrictions. He was also allowed to return to work but was forbidden to do any of the actual autopsies himself. Lucas essentially had to be his hands. The young man was all too happy to help but it was the principle that bothered Henry. His work was like an art, it would be like if Vincent Van Gogh had someone else painting while he pointed where the brush should go. It just simply felt wrong. 

Jo would have known it too. 

It was her that made the condition. Knowing Jo however, that was the point. It was her way of keeping him out of the lab while he recovered.   
It was damn effective too. 

This was why he was currently sitting in his laboratory reading a book since he did not feel up to doing any of his private research.

He was having issues with the book though. He was not able to focus on the words for more than a few moments at a time. His thoughts kept drifting to a certain brunette detective. 

Thinking of the detective made Henry turn his mind back to his recent observations. Jo was now quite distant with him. She was still friendly of course but she did not have that same eagerness she had at the start of their partnership. Jo even sometimes actively avoided him. Something was obviously plaguing her but Henry did not know how to approach the subject.

Should he confront her or just wait for her to come to him?

On one hand if confronted, Jo could easily hunker down and throw her defenses up therefore making the problem much worse. The other end of the scale's problem was that it was in doubt if she ever would even approach him. The current evidence made waiting for her to come to him as not a usable option.

It was almost as if she was slowly trying to shut herself out of his life. 

The idea was preposterous though. It was Jo who originally supported the partnership. In the beginning he was just the creepy, her word not his, guy who examines the cadavers for the police. For some reason she seemed to have enjoyed his company. Even to the point she was considering him her actual partner instead of her official partner, Hanson. 

Now her attitude seemed to do a complete one-hundred and eighty degree turn, throwing Henry off in the process. 

Letting out a sigh, Henry closed his book and dropped it back onto the table. He was getting nowhere anyway, not to mention the laboratory was starting to feel a bit confining. 

Henry slowly rose to his feet with a quiet groan. 

Maybe a walk would clear his head just a little bit. After that he could think of a plan for how to deal with Jo. 

After ascending the stairs, Henry picked up his coat he left draped over a chair. Henry winced heavily and suppressed another groan as he slipped his arms through the garment. Good thing Abe was out for the day. He might not approve of Henry going out. 

For quite possibly the twentieth time since his injury, Henry was considering killing himself just so his gunshot wound would heal instantly. Maybe some kind of quick and painless poison, it would only take a few minutes, plus one naked swim, and a change of clothes then he would be as good as new.

Of course just like the other times Henry had the thought he instantly stamped it out. Jo especially would notice the fact that he was not injured. Then he would be forced to explain his condition, this is right after almost having it revealed when he was shot. The possibility of detection was just too great so Henry would just have to suffer through the healing process.

Henry had just walked out the door and locked it behind him when he froze. It was something Henry tried his best to avoid thinking about but the thought was always there regardless. No matter how hard he tried to conceal his condition to Jo and the rest of the police department he would eventually be caught or he would have to move on.

Someone would notice his lack of aging eventually. 

Worse yet though was the thought that even if he stayed, even if his secret was revealed and even if they accepted him for what he was, one painful fact always remained. 

Henry would outlive them, all of them. Jo, Abe, Lucas, every single one of them would die long before he ever met his end. If he ever did. 

Perhaps this was what Adam meant. Henry's elusive 'fan' was certainly used to people dying around him to the point he likely did not try to meet new people. That was the lesson Adam was wondering why Henry had not learned. 

You should not make friends, because even if you did you would eventually have to suffer the heartbreak of losing them to the ravages of time. Death gave no exceptions, save to the immortals like Adam and Henry. 

While Henry's thoughts drifted he was walking down the streets, his gait slow from his injury. He was so deep into his own mind that he barely noticed the pain of the wound. 

Adam was right... Meeting new people, making new friends, was all completely pointless. Why bring them into your life when they all just die later anyway? You could at least save some pain by never having known them in the first place. It was grim yes but it did not make it any less true.

"You look to be a man deep in thought."

The voice from so close startled Henry from his thoughts making him jump. An action he instantly regretted when pain lit up his entire side. Henry bit back the moan of agony. 

"Sorry about that. I didn't mean to startle you."

Henry finally looked up to see who was speaking. 

At the time, Henry had been walking past an alley entrance. The man was standing at the corner leaning into the nearby wall with his arms folded across his chest. He actually was not even looking at Henry at all. His eyes were instead staring at the ground.

Henry gave the stranger a once over with his own eyes. A long black coat covered most of his body from view, save the dark combat boots on his feet and part of his legs. The man was completely deathly still, so much so that Henry almost did not see him breathing. 

That was when he looked up at Henry.

At first Henry was taken aback slightly. He had seen many things in his lifetime, immortality and all, but this man was something he had never seen before. 

The iris of both is eyes was silver. The color actually seemed to sparkle in the light like shiny metal. Henry had never seen anything like it before in his two hundred plus years.

The silver eyed man's quiet chuckle snapped Henry back to attention. "Silver eyes must not be a normal occurrence in this place I suppose." The man stepped forward from the wall as he spoke. 

To the best of Henry's knowledge silver eyes was not a possibility at all. Where this man could be from that such a thing was normal Henry did not have to faintest idea. 

"I don't mean to be rude but what is it you want?" Henry was becoming a little unnerved. Normally he could read people so easily but this person was something else. He was not able to get a single detail at all, it was like he was constantly shifting.

"I would not bother trying to read me for clues Doctor Morgan. You won't get far." 

Now that certainly caught Henry's attention. "How do you know my name?" 

"You'd be surprised at what I know." The stranger was smiling now, it was tiny but still there. He looked right, then left. The next words he spoke he did so in Russian. "For example, I bet you're trying to solve the immortal question."

Henry's eyes opened wide in alarm. This man knew his secret! 

"Calm down, I'm not here to reveal your secret. Immortals here are not that well known. Don't worry, your secret is safe with me." His words shifted from Russian back to English again at the start of his third sentence. The way he did so was almost spooky. 

Henry was relieved that when he spoke about his immortality he did so in Russian so that the people around them did not understand but the two of them did. This however brought up another question, how did he know Henry understood Russian?

The stranger turned around and proceeded to walk down the alleyway with his hands clasped behind his back. Henry followed without a second thought. 

Once they were a good ways down and out of earshot of the busy street, both men turned to face each other.

In that moment, Henry caught another detail about the man. Above the neckline of his outfit were many small scars that appeared to be cut into shapes. It looked like a language of some kind but as with his eyes it was another thing Henry had never seen before. 

"Who are you?" Henry narrowed his eyes at the stranger. 

It suddenly dawned on Henry. There were only two men who knew about Henry's immortality, Abe and Adam. This man obviously was not Abe so that left the one option. 

"Adam?" 

The man arched an eyebrow. "I do have to admit that is one name I have never gone by." 

Henry felt his heart nearly stop. This was bad, two knowing was bad enough but a third? Henry really did not want to have to run away and leave Abe behind. Neither did he want to leave Jo behind, even if she was alienating him lately.

"Would you prefer the title I go by or my actual name?" 

"Both?" Henry did not mean to phrase it like a question but it came out that way nonetheless. 

"My foes usually call me The Traveler while people I'm friendly to I have call me Endymion." The man smiled as he held a hand out to Henry. Henry shook the offered hand with a hint of hesitation. "Don't be so jumpy. I'm a friend."

Henry was not all that reassured. 

"You are concerned about your secret I know. Rest assured I will only remain in the city as long as I am needed then I shall move on." 

That last comment pointed out something else about this man, Endymion. His speech was constantly changing. Once moment he was talking like any normal person with slang then the next he was speaking like someone from a different time. 

"If it makes you feel better I'll tell you something about myself. You and Adam are not the only immortals in town." Endymion leaned back against the brick wall behind him in the exact same pose as when Henry first saw him. 

What this man was implying was... surely it could not be true. 

"Except I'm far older than both of you put together."

Henry backed away a step before he even knew he was moving. 

If Endymion was repulsed by this he did not show it. "So obviously I have a lot of wisdom to offer if you would just simply ask for it. You have something weighing you down quite heavily. I can see it in the way you're standing, and I know it's not your wound doing it. It is as if you're beginning to admit defeat but have not fully accepted it yet." 

Henry was still in shock and tying to digest what he was hearing. How on earth this man could be what he claimed was crazy, were Henry not an immortal he would be thinking exactly that. 

Instead of speaking he held a blank look toward Endymion. 

The other man simply stood there with his arms folded waiting patiently. 

Finally Henry had enough, there was nothing to lose here. If some wisdom could be gained he would gladly accept it. 

"I do not understand. We live forever, we have to watch everyone die eventually. I was forced to watch my wife die. I'll have to watch my son die. Everything ends but us. Where is the point in any of it? Why bother going through new friends and loved ones if there is nothing to be gained apart from pain and heartache?" 

The words were tumbling forth from Henry's mouth faster than he could stop them. It did not matter, he had been holding it in so much that once a crack was made in the dam, the floodgates burst open. 

The whole time Henry spoke Endymion stayed dead quiet but listening intently. He did not speak until Henry stopped talking. 

"The question you ask is one that every immortal comes to eventually. It is a question only you can truly answer." 

Thus far the other immortal's wisdom was more cryptic than helpful. 

"You can handle it like Adam, he has nothing in life. He lives a hollow shell, an emotionless broken thing. He is dead on the inside. You though? You, Doctor Morgan, are nothing of the sort." 

Henry blinked and suddenly Endymion was no longer leaning against the wall but was instead right in front of him. The pair of silver eyes bored into his own with a frightening intensity. 

"You are still alive here." As Endymion spoke he placed a hand on Henry's chest over his heart. "You are still a person on the inside because you have not given up yet on those around you." 

Henry found himself pinned to the spot as Endymion's words sunk in. 

"What is the point you ask? In my experience, it is the people you meet that make it all worthwhile. They eventually die yes, but you can treasure each moment until the day that happens. And when it does, you keep their memory alive within yourself. It will hurt eventually yes, but the memories and the time spent make it worth every ounce of pain."

"What happened to Adam then?" Henry looked Endymion directly in the eye. 

"He gave up. He shut people out, slowly his spirit rotted within his own body until it was gone. You still feel because you have not given up. Don't do so now." 

He was right, Endymion was completely right. Just because it hurt later did not mean that he should not make every moment count. He had done the exact same thing with Abigail, her death left him scarred, it hurt him, but he would not trade a moment of it for anything. 

Before Henry realized it Endymion was walking away. 

"Wait! Where are you going?" Endymion stopped for a moment at Henry's words. 

"I go where I am needed. I am no longer needed here. Remember what I said." Endymion flashed him another tiny smile before stepping out of the alley and around the corner. 

Henry ran to catch up with him but the moment he stepped back out in the street the other immortal was nowhere in sight. His black coat should have been easily distinguishable on the street but the man seemed to have disappeared into thin air. 

Henry decided to return to the antiques store. The whole way Endymion's words ran through his mind. He had not disappointed when he said he had wisdom to offer. It was quite good advice.

More importantly though, it finally brought to an end the conflict raging within Henry about his partner Jo. If she was going to alienate herself from him, if she was going to throw up walls to keep him out he would have to just break through them all. If something was bothering her he would do his best to help. 

As soon as he was rested and had the chance he needed to see her.

It was time to put an end to the doldrums their partnership slipped into.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes we all have something we need to be reminded of. 
> 
> Let me know what you all think. Next chapter will be Jo's. I also decided to add another short chapter who will not be from Henry or Jo but someone else. Feel free to try to guess.


	3. Jo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is Jo's turn to receive some guidance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Round three, this time it's Jo's turn to get some guidance. 
> 
> Both Henry's chapter and Jo's chapters happen at roughly the same time one after the other chronologically, except which comes first is up to your own interpretation. 
> 
> Enjoy.

Jo was leaving the precinct when she almost ran into Henry. She instantly turned around and went back to her desk, pretending she forgot something there. It was a way to quickly kill a few minutes so Henry had a head start, he hopefully would be gone and she could leave safely. 

It was not that she was avoiding him exactly... she just did not want to see him at the moment. Jo found her excuse sounded pathetic even in her own mind. 

After spending several moments pretending to look for something she tried to leave again. To her relief Henry was nowhere in sight. 

Once out of the precinct the detective headed for her car, followed by a drive to her lonely apartment. 

As hard as she tried to keep her thinking away from Henry, it did not work at all. Thoughts of her partner dominated her mind completely. Specifically his near death.

The man was not even an actual cop! Not that she would ever begrudge the man that but he had no business being in that position to be shot. For her no less... 

Jo was no fool, she knew where the bullet had hit Henry. Had he not been there in that precise moment it would have instead went right through her head. She would have been dead before hitting the ground.

Instead her partner had to be a hero and jump in front of her and take the hit instead. She wanted so badly to go chase the guy that hurt Henry but her partner was already bleeding out on the dusty floor. 

Jo shifted her stiff shoulder slightly. When she had been hit, she actually did not notice. So focused on Henry she was that it was not until one of the EMTs tried to patch her up that she even felt it. Even then she just shoved the man off, Henry was badly hurt. He needed her. 

Jo sat in her car outside her apartment looking down at her hands on the steering wheel. She swore she could still feel the sick warmth of Henry's blood soaking through her skin. 

It was so close... the man was so close to dying in her arms in some dingy abandoned house. 

God, Henry deserved so much better. 

Jo let out a sigh as her head dropped to the top of the steering wheel. She was avoiding Henry yes, because she was scared. She would only admit it within the safety of her own mind but it was still true. 

Jo was a New York City detective, she was not supposed to be afraid. She was supposed to be fearless, taking down the bad guys and locked them up, but it was not until that day that she understood the danger she put Henry in. He always willingly followed her into anything, this time it nearly got him killed. 

Pushing Henry off like this certainly hurt but it was necessary. For her and him both. She had already lost her husband, that scar still hurt. If she were to lose Henry... 

Henry was quickly becoming a great friend. If he would have died that day from the gunshot, Jo was not sure if she would have been able to keep it together. 

Right now, it was his friendship that was helping her heal, but that relationship was a double edged sword. Henry's death, especially if it was all her fault like his near death had been, would not just hurt like losing her husband did. 

Jo had almost lost it after Henry began to fade. She saw he was starting to go when his eyes began to close. Henry was bleeding to death in her arms and in hindsight it may not have been a good idea but she was past the point of rational thought, so she slapped him. It may have been harder than necessary but she was having a full blown panic attack herself at the time.   
At least hitting him had worked. 

The hit roused him and he held on long enough for the ambulance to arrive. She never left him for a moment until they forced her out so he could go through surgery. The hospital staff almost had to call her fellow officers to restrain her, she had been irrational. Somehow they convinced her to calm down. It was not until then that she got her shoulder checked out. 

Jo did not want to admit it but for herself too she had to push Henry at arm's length. She could not afford to have another loss in her life. Even if she enjoyed his company so much, it would make losing him all the more rougher. If she were to lose Henry now it would do what the death of her husband had been unable to.

Break her completely. 

Finally having decided to get out of her car, Jo looked up at her apartment. It would be like any other evening, cold, lonely, and quiet. Jo was not sure if it was something that she could handle right now. 

So instead she locked her car and started walking. It was not too far a distance to the nearest bar where she could get a drink. She needed one badly.

Every step of the way, her mind tormented her with the knowledge that if Henry had died it would be her fault. He would have given his life to save hers, the man was just too much of a gentlemen, too good a man, not to. Always trying to look out for her, it was part of what made the idea of losing him so difficult to accept. 

Soon Jo found herself in some rundown bar that reeked of smoke and cheap booze. The detective barely noticed, her thoughts still too coherent from lack of alcohol. 

"This seat taken miss?" 

The speaker beside her interrupted Jo's thoughts. Looking up Jo noticed some guy with a long black coat standing beside her with a hand on the seat next to her. 

"Sit wherever you want." Came Jo's monotone reply as she stared down into her glass. 

No doubt Henry was upset with her about avoiding him. She should tell him but Jo did not know how to explain it. 'The thought of facing loss again terrifies you', she could imagine Henry saying those exact words. 

Jo sighed. She really had no idea what to do. It would be best for the both of them if she just kept Henry at arm's length but now... Jo was not sure if that was possible. He had slowly wormed his way into her life with all his gentlemanly manners and old fashioned charm. 

"You look like something is bothering you." The man beside her spoke up again. 

Jo looked over at him and actually saw him for the first time. His eyes were glued to the bar counter where what looked like a glass of water sat. Jo could tell he was talking to her even without looking. Weird looking scars ran up the sides of his neck and throat and he sat extremely still. 

"Understatement of the year." Jo grumbled out quietly. 

"Penny for your thoughts?" He looked over at her now. Jo did not show it, but she was startled slightly by the man's eyes. They looked like gleaming polished silver. They should have unnerved her, but Jo was too lost in her current issues to care. 

Why was this guy even talking to her? 

Instead of responding to him, Jo signaled for a refill to her whiskey. The bartender moved to do so but the newcomer beside her interrupted him. "Life's too short to waste on cheap alcohol. Macallan twenty five, please. On me." 

The guy was buying her a drink, great. Another idiot trying to hit on her by doing that. If she had a nickel for every time that happened... 

The drink was quickly placed in front of her. Jo stared down at it for a moment. She knew how it tasted, it was good. What was suddenly bothering her was that this was the exact same drink Henry had bought for her after she shot Bentley. He had even used the identical phrase about alcohol that Henry had. 

This whole thing was making her sick to her stomach, not about the drink or the guy buying it for her, but for how she was treating Henry. 

"So what's eating you up?" The stranger rested one elbow on the table turning so that he was now partially facing her with his head held up by his fist.

"I don't know who you are or why you're bothering me but I'm a little busy here." Jo's voice held no venom, she did not have the will to bring it forth.   
The man just smiled as he held a hand out to her. "Endymion, nice to meet you." 

Jo stared at the outstretched hand. Endymion? What the hell kind of name was that? 

Jo let out another sigh. What the hell, not like this guy was really bothering her that much anyway. He was really just making conversation. "Jo, nice to meet you too." Jo echoed the man's words without any real emotion behind them. 

Endymion chuckled, if he was bothered he did not show it. "Why don't you tell me what's got you drowning yourself in cheap whiskey? In my experience sometimes a listening ear can help quite a bit."

Jo took a sip from her drink and considered his words. He did have a point, maybe talking to someone would help her to figure something out. He was a total stranger too, the fact that he was a neutral party in all this made the idea all the more appealing. 

"It's my partner at work... he nearly got himself killed to save my life." Jo began. As she spoke she watched Endymion closely, at first he was sitting in his chair leisurely but the moment she started talking he sat up giving her his complete attention. 

"I just lost my husband not even a year ago..." Jo was absentmindedly running her fingers over the ring on her neck. "Now Henry is in my life and in my profession there is always a lot of danger and if he got hurt because I dragged him into something..." 

Jo was spilling out everything that had been bothering her. Something about Endymion made her want to confess all, she had no idea why. It was like he radiated some calming aura that reassured her. 

"I can't take another loss like my husband. I won't survive it, and Henry should not get hurt because he was too good a man not to follow me into possible danger." Jo sucked in a breath. 

"So let me guess, you're shutting him out in an attempt to protect both of yourselves?

Jo nodded. 

"And it is killing you on the inside to do that to Henry?" 

Once more Jo nodded, Endymion had hit the nail on the head. 

"The problem is simple then. You cannot shut him out." Endymion took a drink of his water before setting the glass back down.   
Jo looked at him dumbfounded. 

"Pushing him out will not work. In the end you will only suffer all the more, never knowing is far worse than experiencing the pain itself. Trust me." Endymion again turned those unnatural silver eyes on her. 

Jo turned his words over in her mind repeatedly. "But what if he gets himself hurt or, god forbid, killed? He should not have to go through that, he is only there because I want him there!" 

"That is exactly it. He wants to be there with you, he wants to be beside you. He does not care about the chance of injury or pain or even death. You think you are sparing him any agony but in truth you are doing the opposite. Shutting him out is causing more suffering than any wound ever could."

Those words hit Jo in the chest like a cannonball. How could she have been so stupid? 

"You should go see him as soon as you are able."

Jo suddenly jumped to her feet, her drink completely forgotten. She needed to find Henry, now. 

Jo's feet were already moving her to the door. When she stood on the threshold she remembered Endymion, she really should thank him for the advice and the helpful ear. When she turned to where he had been sitting moments before he was completely gone, leaving no trace. 

Jo did not let that slow her down though. She was rushing back to her car, thankfully she had not drunk all that much so she could still drive.   
Hopefully Henry would be at the antiques store. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When she arrived at Abe's Antiques she hesitantly knocked on the door. She was mildly worried Henry would be upset with her, he had every right to be. To make matters worse it was fairly late, the man was probably sleeping or something. 

Regardless she needed to speak to him. 

It was the man in question who answered the door of course. 

"Detective? I was not expecting you this evening, but I am quite happy to see you." The tiny smile Henry gave her had Jo's stomach clenching in knots again. She would not lose her nerve, not now. 

Jo took a deep breath to steady herself. "Henry, we need to talk, you busy?"

The smile on Henry's face actually got a little wider. "Not at all, I was actually needing to speak to you anyway. Perhaps over a cup of coffee?" 

"Sounds just fine," Jo spoke with a small nod. 

The female detective took a very deep breath as she watched him get his coat. 

No matter how scared she was of it, she would explain to him why she was doing this to him then let him come to his own decision. 

It was time to face her fears of their own mortality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you all go, another chapter. Let me know what you think. There will be a final bonus chapter after this one, but it will be from neither Jo nor Henry. The who will be a surprise. Feel free to try to guess.


	4. Henry (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Henry and Jo have a talk at the coffee shop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright so I may have been mistaken. This was supposed to be the final chapter but I decided everyone might want to see the coffee trip with our favorite crime solving duo. 
> 
> Therefore as you can read in the title this is from Henry, the final chapter will have out mystery perspective. I'll provide a hint, it is a character from the show that Henry knows. 
> 
> Enjoy.

Henry had to admit he did not see this coming. Yes he was indeed hoping that Jo would come to him so he would not have to confront her but that did not mean he actually thought it would happen. He was prepared to confront her, but it was always easier with Jo when she came to you.   
He was just glad she was finally able to talk. 

It was odd that she came to him at such a late hour but she seemed like she needed to see him badly though.

Perhaps Henry was a bit upset, but not at her. He was assuming this whole time that he had done something wrong. The fact that their short car ride to the coffee shop was dead quiet did not inspire confidence to the contrary.

Jo also every few moments gave him sideways looks, she thought she was doing a good job of hiding it but she was like an open book to him. 

There was definitely something bothering Jo quite severely, it was all in her posture and the nervousness she had shrouded herself with. 

The only question that remained was what had Henry done to upset her so?

It was not until they were seated with their drinks, which Henry knew were probably not going to be touched during this talk, that Jo finally spoke up.  
"Henry..."

That was it. Jo had said so much with just that single word. It was not the word that did it, it was how she said it, her tone of voice. Jo was not angry with him or anything, no, she was actually scared. Scared however might be too weak a word. 

Jo was actually terrified of something. 

To the best of Henry's knowledge he had not done anything that would scare the strong detective quite like this. 

Jo was looking down at the table, having taken a sudden keen interest in her coffee cup. She was avoiding eye contact, her eyes were unwilling to look at Henry directly.

"Jo, what has you rattled so?" Henry was a patient man, but Jo needed to get what was on her mind out. She was too nervous to take the first step so he made it for her. Consequences be damned. 

Jo sucked in a breath at that. "Henry... We're partners right?"

Henry looked at her bewildered. Of course they were, it was Jo who had stated they were such. Why would she need to ask that now?

"Of course, why wouldn't we be?" Henry did not want it to sound like he was confused but it came out that way anyway. 

All of a sudden Jo's eyes snapped up to Henry's. It seems his last comment flipped a switch in the detective. 

"Because you almost died you idiot!" Jo was almost yelling now. Thankfully due to the late hour there were very few people around them. 

Henry opened his mouth to say something but a raised hand from Jo, followed by a growled "shut up" stopped him cold.

"You almost died..." Jo repeated the words a lot quieter now. 

Was that what she was so upset about? Not that he would have died for long but Jo did not know that. Even so, his death should not mean that much to her. 

Now that Henry was looking for it in the detective, he saw that perhaps he was badly mistaken. Maybe she sees more than just her work partner in him. 

"Henry... you were bleeding out fast... I could feel you dying in my arms..." Jo was shaking slightly, there were no tears though. 

Jo had at some point placed both her hands on the table palms down and was currently staring at them. 

"I still feel it Henry." Jo's voice had dropped much lower. "I can still feel your blood all over my hands..."

Before he thought twice about it, Henry reached foreword and laid one of his hands onto Jo's own. To his infinite surprise, instead of jerking her hand away like he expected, she turned her hand palm up and latched onto his hand with a death grip. 

Jo's eyes finally looked up into Henry's. The immortal had been wrong, there certainly were tears. They were in her eyes just barely being held back.

"You were dying and it was all my fault..." Her comment had been little more than a whisper but Henry heard it nonetheless. 

"Jo, it was not your fault, you didn't shoot me, you were not responsible at all." Henry meant every word, where she got that it was her fault he had not the faintest idea. 

Jo swallowed hard. "You were only there because of me, you jumped in front of a bullet to save my life. Henry you're not even a cop! It's not your job to get hurt or killed on an investigation." 

She squeezed his hand even tighter. "Henry... I can't lose you..." Jo's words were again hushed and quiet but heard nonetheless. 

Henry could see a change in Jo. She let out a soft breath, her posture relaxed slightly. Those were the words she had been so scared of saying this entire time. Now that she had finally got them out, depending on Henry's reaction, she would either be relieved or have her anxiety reinforced. 

Henry chose his next words with care. "Jo, I'm not going anywhere." He flashed her a small smile for good measure. 

Jo nodded and took a deep breath. "Henry, I have to be honest with you. Yes, I've been avoiding you... been pushing you away. For both of our sakes I kept telling myself." 

Henry remained quiet as she spoke. His only response was either a small nod or a slight squeeze of her hand. A gesture she would instantly return.   
This was something she badly needed to get off her chest. 

"I didn't want you to get hurt on another of our investigations, but more than that I was scared of losing you like I nearly did already. After losing my husband it nearly killed me." 

If Henry was listening before he was now listening with every bit of attention he had. Jo rarely spoke of her husband. Henry understood from personal experience how painful it could be to talk about. The fact that she was doing so now meant that either she trusted him with such a thing or it had something to do with what was happening now, perhaps both. 

"But if I were to lose you now... I don't think I'd be able to take it. I see now that I can't shove you out just like that. You not only don't deserve that but I can't do it either. It's killing me inside." Jo's voice remained low in volume. "I just had to tell you. You deserved to know." Jo was looking at the table again as if afraid of what Henry would say. 

"Jo..." Henry's words were very soft spoken. "I don't want to lose you either. I'm not mad, but please understand that I want you in my life. You're not someone who is replaceable."

Henry had not meant to say those last words but they tumbled out before he could stop himself. 

"You... really think so?" Jo's eyes were now back on Henry's again. 

"Of course." She was a unique person quite unlike many he had met in all his years. Which was quite a statement in itself. 

Taking in a breath, Jo spoke again. "So we good?" Her voice sounded very hopeful.

Henry smiled. "Absolutely." 

It was not until right then that Henry noticed the blush on Jo's cheek. He understood why when he glanced down at the table. 

Their hands were still tightly gripping each other. 

Henry found that he really had no desire to let go. If Jo's countenance was any indication, she felt the exact same way. 

"I don't really feel like going home right now. Would you mind if we just stayed here for a bit longer?" Jo again sounded nervous and unsure.

"I'd love to." Henry spoke with a small smile. 

Jo's face immediately lit up brighter than the sun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really not sure about this one, this was originally not a chapter I planned. So if it feels rushed that would be why. Next is our final chapter with our bonus perspective.


	5. Adam

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Endymion has a word with Henry's resident 'fan'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the bonus chapter for Mortality. As the title implies this is from Adam's side. Also bonus points to a reviewer who noticed the origins of Endymion's name, yes it is Greek, and is derived from a word meaning "to dive into, to enter". Bear in mind though, it is not his real name, it is one he adopted from the Greeks. 
> 
> Enjoy.

As Henry and Jo sat in the coffee shop talking, they were unaware of the man watching the pair through binoculars. 

To say Adam was not amused may be a bit of an understatement. 

Henry was smiling at the detective, Jo was laughing softly at something Henry had just said. Whatever it was Adam did not know. 

Henry was such a fool! He was still trying to be normal, instead of accepting who they actually were. Adam had been hoping that his fellow immortal's recent near death experience would have convinced him and the detective to finally end their partnership. However the two had gotten over it and were now chatting across the street below his vantage point. 

Adam was going to have to figure something ou...

"You know they say stalking is quite unhealthy."

Adam did not jump, did not even flinch. He had been alive far too many years to be startled by a mere voice beside him. 

Adam looked over from his binoculars to see who his surprise company was. The two thousand year old immortal was greeted by the sight of a man sitting on the ledge of the roof, his feet hanging off the edge of a several story drop. A long black coat covered most of his frame from view. 

"And you are?" 

"Endymion, but you can call me The Traveler," the stranger turned to look at him. Adam was able to see his silver eyes when he did. Adam had seen many strange sights in his time but something about those eyes was extremely unsettling, like they did not belong in this world. 

"You have a most unusual name for these parts." Adam spoke as he looked through his binoculars. Now it seemed like Jo was telling a story of some kind. Why Henry would be interested in any story she could concoct was beyond him. He and Adam would have thousands if not millions of stories grander than any she could ever come up with. 

Endymion shrugged. "Perhaps around here it is. But I've met a few other people with it, still a bit rare though."

Adam was growing slightly annoyed at his visitor. His attempts at small talk were beginning to grate on his nerves. Perhaps he should just shove the offending man off the rooftop. That would solve the problem quite easily. Adam was moments from doing just that when Endymion's next words stopped him cold. 

"If you're worried about your fellow immortal perhaps you should stop hiding in the shadows."

Adam's eyes snapped over at Endymion so fast his neck almost got whiplash. This man knew he and Henry were immortals? That should be near imposable, Adam was always on the move in the shadows and Henry went out of the way to hide his own immortality. 

Endymion was staring down at the street below. What his sparkling silver eyes were looking at, Adam did not know. 

"How do you know about us?" Adam questioned, he was genuinely curious now. 

"Do you honestly believe you and Henry are the only immortals out there? Not even close. Now what I'd like to know is why the cloak and dagger act with Henry? He seems eager to meet you." 

Adam chuckled darkly. "We have all the time in the world to enjoy this, neither of us is going anywhere. The only issue is that detective and Henry's 'son'. "

Endymion looked over at him and arched an eyebrow. "What could be wrong with them? They're Henry's friend and only family." Adam could tell from the way Endymion was speaking that he already knew Adam's response, he seemed to want to hear it anyway. 

"They're distractions, passing fancies at best. He needs to get over them and move on with his immortal life. They are only getting in the way, if he does not do something soon I will have to deal with..."

Adam never got to finish his sentence. One second Endymion was sitting on the roof ledge, but then the next he was standing beside Adam. The move was so unnaturally fast that Adam did not even see a blur, he blinked and Endymion was simply there. 

What actually cut his words off was the sudden swing of Endymion's hand that latched itself around his throat. He pulled Adam from the edge and slammed him against a nearby wall with more force than he thought Endymion's frame capable. 

Adam gasped on simple reflex at the sudden impact of the wall but otherwise did not react. Not the first time he had been attacked, neither was it likely to be the last. There was nothing this man or any other could do to harm him permanently. This was more than likely some form of attempted intimidation. 

Endymion held a tight grip on Adam's throat, enough to hold him in place but not enough to cut off his air. 

"You are such a child. I look at you and you know what I see in you? A little boy all alone on a playground until one day, you meet another boy like yourself. Except soon he has met another person and you feel left out. So you plot ways to get the boy to be all alone like you, so he has to return to you because you'll be all he has left. I've seen your kind before you pathetic whelp." Endymion was nearly snarling the words. 

"How dare you..."

"Shut up!" Endymion again cut him off mid sentence. 

"Allow me to get one thing very clear..." Endymion spoke slowly but his voice had completely shifted. Before he spoke with a calm, almost relaxed tone. Now however, his words had sounded almost demonic to Adam's ears. "You will not dare touch a single hair on the heads of people around Henry. If you do then you will have to deal with me." His final word was almost a growl. 

Adam had to admit, as far as intimidation this man was a quite skilled. Were Adam mortal he would be downright terrified. There was still nothing this man could do to him though. Adam had grown immune to scare tactics a long ago.

"And what do you plan to do if I refuse? You know I'm immortal, you cannot stop me." Adam smirked slightly. He had him, Endymion could try to scare him all he wanted but it would have no effect. 

Endymion smiled then, there was no humor in it though. It looked almost as wicked as his current voice. 

"You think so?" Endymion leaned in close so that their faces were inches apart as he spoke. "You think you're the first immortal I've had to kill? Not even close." 

All of a sudden Adam felt a large surge of electric pass into his throat. Adam could feel his muscles seize up in his body, completely paralyzing him. The electrocution was so fast that he did not even get a chance to make a sound before even his voice was stunned. 

Where the hell had that come from? It was as if Endymion had stuck him in the neck with a taser but the man held nothing, there was just his hand holding his throat in a vice grip. 

"You think just because you don't feel anything, because killing comes so easily to you, that you're unstoppable. Because you're immortal, the world is your playground." Endymion's hand was the only thing keeping Adams's body from flopping down to the floor. Adam could not even speak, his entire body was still paralyzed. 

"Well guess what?" Endymion's silver eyes were now boring into Adam's with an intensity he had never before experienced in his two thousand years of life. "I've got more than a million years on you, a far larger body count than people your world has ever had on this planet. I've killed plenty in my time. You would be no exception." 

Endymion was not bluffing, Adam could tell when a man was and this one was not. 

If he even was a man. From the way Endymion seemed able to move, the electric shock from his hand, Adam was unsure what Endymion was but he doubted it was human. Adam had experienced much in his two thousand years but he had never seen anything like Endymion. 

Endymion then dragged Adam by the throat to the ledge of the roof like a ragdoll. "Leave the people around Henry alone or there will be dire consequences."

Adam knew what Endymion was about to do, it would do no lasting harm but he wanted to avoid it anyway. Adam was not about to let this newcomer see him intimidated if he could avoid it. 

Despite Adam's attempts to regain control of his own body, it was still locked in place. The electrical charge he had been hit with still had every muscle in his body frozen in place. 

There would be no stopping Endymion. 

"Consider this your warning shot." Without hesitation, Endymion hurled Adam off the edge of the roof to a five story drop. 

As Adam fell, he could still not move his body. He could feel though, and for the first time in a very long while he felt something he thought he would never feel ever again. 

Fear. 

Not of the fall or the inevitable death that was seconds away, no. He was afraid of this strange arrival that had appeared from seemingly nowhere. If he could electrocute him with just a simple touch... 

What else could The Traveler do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter of Mortality. Now for starters this will NOT be the last story to feature Endymion. He will make a return, and you are not supposed to understand everything about him here. He is a character I have been considering creating for a while but never got around to it until now. 
> 
> Those who are interested, keep an eye on my other stories after this to see when he makes another appearance. Also a tip, Forever is not the only fandom he will appear in. Now I'm sure you're asking something along the lines of "but master_magician, how can he be in different fandoms?". Well that answer will not be given quite yet. 
> 
> I also am working on something I will add to my profile called "The Legend of Endymion", that will shed a little more light on who this man is.


End file.
